Serves 4 as a main dish
This is a dry, dark, aromatic Punjabi dish, with lovely splashes of colour thanks to the addition of the peas. This is a hearty dish, excellent with rice or mopped up with chapati. Although it’s traditionally a dry, meaty dish, you can add more Base Curry Sauce if you like your curries with more sauce or more yoghurt if you like them a bit creamier.
What you need…
• 4 Tablespoons ghee
• 5 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 1–5 chillies, roughly chopped, depending how hot you like your curry (optional)
• 1 teaspoon ginger paste
• 800g lamb mince
• 400ml Base Curry Sauce
• 2 Tablespoons tomato ketchup
• 0.5 onion, roughly chopped
• 1 small handful fresh coriander, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 200g peas (frozen are good)
• 1 Tablespoon yoghurt
• salt, to taste
Spice Mix 1
• 2 cloves
• 1 cardamom
• 1 cinnamon stick (about 10cm long)
Spice Mix 2
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika powder
• 1 teaspoon chilli powder
• 0.5 teaspoon cumin powder
• 0.5 teaspoon coriander powder
How to make it…
1. Heat the ghee to a high heat. Add the Spice Mix 1 to the pan and fry for 15 seconds. They should sizzle immediately. You can test the ghee is hot enough by adding the cardamom.
2. Add the garlic and the (optional) chillies, turn down the heat and cook for 2 minutes. You may have to remove the pan from the heat initially to stop it burning. If it burns then throw it away and start again.
3. Add the ginger paste and fry for 1 minute.
4. Add the mince, coat it well with the mixture and fry until all the dark red colour of the mince has turned brown. Make sure you break down all the chunks of mince. This will take about 3–4 minutes.
5. Add the Base Curry Sauce and Spice Mix 2, stir well and cover the pan. Cook (covered) for 20 minutes on a medium heat, stirring occasionally.
6. Add the tomato ketchup, coriander stems and garam masala and onion, mix well and simmer gently (uncovered) for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
7. Add the peas and cook for 2 minutes.
8. Add the yoghurt and salt, mix well and cook until everything is heated through. This should take about 2 minutes.
8. Serve, garnished with the coriander leaves.
One of the great things about peas in a curry dish, like a great Keema Muttar, are their bright colour. Ensure you add them at just the right time and they are not over-cooked or they will lose that vibrant colour (think mushy peas at the fish ‘n’ chip shop).
If you like this you should try our…
Last time I ordered a Keema Muttar the police burst in the restaurant to speak me. Luckily it was a case of mince-taken identity.
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